There was a time when the Fourth of July fireworks on “A” Mountain made money. In fact it made money for the City of Tucson. It was a fundraiser for city parks.

In the early 1980s when Jim Ronstadt was director of the city Parks and Recreation Department, he was instrumental in getting the “A” Mountain fireworks show started. At the time I was working at KVOA 4. Through Ronstadt’s arm-twisting, our general manager Jon Ruby and station manager Jim Joslyn were persuaded to help launch the shows in such a way that it would be a win-win-win for all concerned.

The TV station and radio partner KLPX won because they successfully sold profitable advertising to the event’s sponsors who paid for the show. City parks won by being the beneficiaries of money raised from the event. And the community won for having the event.

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Tucson had been without a Fourth of July fireworks show for at least two years. The Tucson Jaycees had for a long time sponsored a show at Arizona Stadium but University of Arizona officials put a stop to them over safety issues after some shells misfired. The Jaycees moved out to the Pima County Fairgrounds one year but hardly anyone showed. After that, there was no community show. The resorts or country clubs would have shows but the one on “A” Mountain had the potential to once again bring the entire community together.

The carnival atmosphere around the Tucson Convention Center was a natural as people gathered before the fireworks. When it was show time, KLPX played music synchronized to the fireworks.

But this is Tucson where city leaders don’t like business success. From the beginning the Fire Department objected to the fireworks. Yes, the department did have prepare “A” Mountain ahead of time and then stand-by during the show in case something happened. And, more often than not, it did. I remember Ruby kept photograph plaques in his office of the years when the fireworks show set the mountain on fire.

By 1984, the city’s nitpicking was enough and the fireworks show was dropped. Seeing the errors of their ways, city leaders revived the event the following year and it has gone on every year since, except for maybe one year.

As only the city could or would do, on June 3 it announced this year’s show would be canceled due to budget constraints. Never mind the city would still spend $312,900 subsidizing other events throughout the year.

Within 24 hours, the fireworks show was back on, saved by business interests that came forward with more than $65,000.

I’m happy Tucson will have its “A” Mountain celebration next weekend and am appreciative of the support from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe,  Tohono O’odham Nation (some irony in those two helping sponsor an American Independence Day event), Tucson Electric Power, Cox Communications and Arizona Builders Alliance.

On the other hand I have to wonder if this isn’t another example of a city mentality that squanders success knowing full-well it will get bailed out.

When will businesses in this city figure out they’re being played for patsies?

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Contact David Hatfield at dhatfield@azbiz.com or (520) 295-4237.